Flint holding and feeding mechanism for lighters



S. RODAK March 28, 19 50 FLINT HOLDING AND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR LIGHTERS Filed July 27, 1948 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 28, 1950 FLINT HOLDING AND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR LIGHTERS Stanley Kodak, Pensacola, Fla.

Application July 27, 1948, Serial No. 40,876

2 Claims. (Cl. 677.1)

This invention relates to an improved lighter construction.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved flint holding and feeding mechanism for lighters.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved flint holding and adjustably tensioned resilient flint feeding mechanism for lighters. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable resiliently tensioned follower fed holder and feed mechanism for lighters.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved flint holding and feeding mechanism for lighters which will be highly eflicient in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this application,

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved lighter with parts thereof being broken away and in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view through the flint holding and feeding mechanism of the improved lighter.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the improved retaining plug for the flint feed mechanism.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of a modified form of flint feed mechanism retaining device.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of a second modified form of flint feed mechanism retaining device.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the retaining device shown in Fig. 6.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is shown and provided'an improved lighter and flint holding and feed mechanism therefor including a hollow body I adapted to hold a supply of lighter fluid, said body comprising a top 2, a bottom 3, opposite sides 4 and 5, and opposite ends 6 and 1.

A circular aperture 8 is formed through the bottom'3 of the lighter body I and is enlarged at its lowerend to form an annular seat 9. A

ill

sleeve I is secured in any desired manner in the aperture 8 and is internally threaded at l l at its lower end. to receive the head disc [2 which is externally threaded as at l3. and is centrally apertured at l4 to receive the upstanding stud l formed integrally on the tensioning disc head I6 which is received in the enlarged lower end of the aperture 8.

oppositely disposed pin receiving sockets I1 are formed in the lower portion of the head disc I2, while oppositely disposed pin receiving apertures 18 are formed through the tensioning disc head l6, and are adapted to be vertically aligned with said sockets l I. A kerf I9 is also formed in the lower surface of the tensioning disc head IS, in which a coin (not shown) may be inserted for flint advancing purposes hereinafter more fully described.

A flint supporting tube 20 is disposed with its lower end within the sleeve 10, with its lower end in engagement with the head disc l2 and its upper end in engagement with the inner surface of the top 2 of the lighter body I.

An opening 2| is formed through the top 2 axially of the tube 20 and supports a guide bushin 22, through which a long length of flint 23 is slidably and swingably received.

A coil spring 24 is anchored transversely through the stud l5 at its lower end and surrounds the flint 23 with its upper end in engagement with the top 2 of the lighter body I.

A vertical oiiset guide channel 25 is formed in the tube 20 and is adapted to receive the laterally extending guide finger 26 formed on the follower 21 which is disposed within the coil spring 24 in contact with the bottom of the flint 23, said finger 26 extending between adjacent convolutions of the coil spring 24 and serving as a screw to raise or lower the follower 21 in the tube 20 as the tensioning disc head It is rotated in one direction or a reverse direction.

A threaded filling opening 28 is formed in the bottom 3 of the lighter body I and is adapted to be closed by the threaded closure disc 29. which is formed with a kerf 30 in its lower surface. Spaced upstanding actuating pins 3| are formed on the upper or inner end of the closure disc 29, and when said disc is removed from the opening 28. the pins 3| may be inserted through the aligned openings l8 and into the sockets I! for rotating the disc head l2 when removing the same, or for tightening the head disc I2 to hold the flint mechanism in place. A rotatable serrated striking wheel 32 is mounted upon the axle 33 disposed between the upstandhead 3'! upon which the stud 33 is mounted, and

the coil spring 39 extendingthroughthe stud38 in said tube in which the flint stick is slidably disposed, the flint stick being extensible through the opening in the top of the lighter body, a follower disposed in said coiled spring, engageable with the inner end of said flint stick, a guide finger extending from the follower and being disposed between the coils of the spring, a rotary member in the lower end of the tube, a stud extending. from .the rotaryr'memberl and passing at its lower end. A closure plate ll] is hingedat Al to th bottom 3 of the lighter body I and is adapted to underlie the disc head 3? to hold the same in position. A spring. catch .4I'1is formed on the end of the closure plate 40 remote from the hinge M and is adapted toisnap into the locking notch 21m the edge of the bottom &3 of the lighter body l.

.A still further modification .is :shown in-zFig: '7

and. here the tube leis supportedin an inset par- ,tition i l formed in the bottom 30f the-lighter body i: and the disc head 45 and stud filii'with coil spring' l'l-attached andheld in position by the internally threaded bushing 48 formed with the inwardly extending flange 49 oni'its lower .end.

"The lower'endof the tube 43 is threaded-at 5i to receive the bushing 48.

A kerf 5! Y is-also formed in the lower surface of the head disc-t5 -Whereby a coin (notshown) or other object may n be used to rotate the said head disc.

.From the foregoing description it willbe apparent that the preferred embodiment of the inrstant :invention has been illustrated. and .described, and it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without-departure from the spirit of the invention.

-I-Iavingthusedescribed :my invention what I claim as'new and desireto secure by Letters .Pat-

enta of. the United States is: 1. A lighter-including a. hollow lighter fluid 1 containing body :formedwith I vertically aligned openings throughits top'and-bottom, a flint supporting tube formed with a vertical oiiset channel extendingthroughout-its length, insertable .through-the-opening insthe bottomofthe body adaptedto be disposed in said body inaxial alignent with asaidopenings and forming a liquid tight seal atits ends witlrthe top. and bottom of thehbody, a removable threaded disc having a --..central openingfitted in theopening in the-bottomeof the tube,.said disc being iormed with pin lopeningafla rotatable sparking wheel on the-top .ofisaidbodyabove the opening therethrough and .adjacent to the upper-end thereof, a .flint stick ..,-slidably mounted within the tube, a coiled spring,

through the opening in the disc said spring being secured to said stud to rotate therewith, advancing the follower and flint stick to hold the sticks-in.v engagement with the sparking Wheel.

'.b2,1'-A lighter including a hollow lighter fluid containing body having a filling opening forme withvertically aligned openings through its to .-.and. bottom, .a. flint supporting tube positioned within the lighter body with its ends disposed opposite to the openings in the top and bottom, said tube having a longitudinal groove formed in the --wall, a rotary, disc closing the lower end-of the tube, said disc having a central opening,.a tensioning :disc head -mounted in the opening in the bottom of the lighter fluid containing body,

a stud extending from the disc head and'passing through the opening'of saiddisc; acoiled spring mounted within the tube, the lower=.-.end of .the spring being securedto said stud'whereby said spring is rotated, a follower mounted withinthe coiled spring, a guide .finger extending from the follower; said finger being disposed between the coils .of the spring. urging the follower-longitudinally of the spring, as the spring is rotated; a

flint stick supported within the coiled spring and resting on the follower wherebyv the flint. stick. is

. moved withthe follower, and said discianddisc head having registeringopenings, a closure-disc normally closing thefilling opening, spaced-pins extending from the closure disc, saidvpins adapted to be inserted in the registering openingsofv the disc closing. the lower end of. the .tubeanddischead, whereby the disc of vthe lower-end of ..the

tube-and disc-head may be rotated and removed.

STANLEY RODAK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,725,901 Douglass Aug. 17,1929 2,473,636 Campos June 21,1949

, FOREIGN. PATENTS Number Country Date 121,388 Austria Feb. 25; .1931 278,332 :Great-Britain Dec.'.115, 1927 

